Towel dispenser and keyed supply roll



Feo Q 19G H. E. SLOIER 2,924,494

TOWEL DISPENSER VAND KEYED SUPPLY ROLL Filed Oct. a, 1956 Hare Id 5. 5/019;

IN V EN TOR.

fl gg m. llfforng tes Patent Patented: Feb. 9, 1960 TOWEL DISPENSER AND KEYED SUPPLY ROLL Harold E. Sloier, Sherman Oaks, Califi, assignor to Shore- Calnevar, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 8 1956, Serial No. 614,411

Claims. (Cl. '312-'39) The present invention relates generally to dispensers for a rolled sheet material, and is more particularly concerned with improved means whereby only a properly keyed roll of the sheet material may be used in the'dispenser.

The problem and advantage of being able to use only a properly keyed roll of sheet material in a particular dispenser has heretofore been appreciated. Several arrangements have been suggested for such purpose with the idea of preventing the use of an inferior grade of towelling which might reflect unfavorably on the manufacturer or distributor of the dispenser. In the main, however, these previously conceived arrangements have not been'entirely successful or satisfactory for the reason that it has been possible to circumvent the desired purpose in various ingenious ways. For example, it has been proposed that the end of the towel roll be provided with an end slot which would permit passage of the roll ends past a stud or other projection which was provided on the cabinet ends and adapted to be relatively moved through theslots in the ends of the roll during insertion of the roll into the cabinet. This arrangement was ineffectual since a shorter roll which was not provided with the stud receiving slots could be used in the cabinet and thus defeat the designed purpose.

The present invention seeks to overcome the inherent disadvantages of the previously known arrangements and provide a simple cabinet-roll keyed combination which is so arranged that the keying may be accomplished at a point inwardly spaced from the roll ends, and in such a manner that in order to circumvent the keying arrangement it would be necessary to utilize a roll of such short length that it would be impractical.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a dispenser, and more or less diagrammatically illustrating the cooperative relationship of the keyed cabinet-roll combination as embodied in the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the keying parts, taken substantially on 'line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of keying means; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3, and showing the cooperative relationship of the keying elements with the roll in entering position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the dispenser is shown as comprising a cabinet structure of substantially rectangular box-like configuration. The cabinet is fabricated with the end wall closures, the end wall 10 only being shown, top wall 11, back wall 12,

bottomwwall13 and forward wall 14. The top wall 11 and the forward wall 14 are shortened so as to provide an entrance opening for a confined path of movement for placing aroll -16 of dispensible sheet material in a dispensing position within the cabinet.

The entrance opening of the cabinet is normally closed bya suitable hinged door 17, hinge 18 between the upper edge of the: door and the forward edge of the top wall 11: permittingswinging movement of the door to opened and closedpositions.

It will be observed that the roll 16 in the dispensing position rests upon an inclined supporting shelf 19 which acts toretain the roll under the force of gravity in contact with a dispensing roll 20. which is rotatably supported inthe bottom of the cabinet near the forward wall. The-sheet material leaving the roll 16 is carried overthe dispensing roll 20, as shown at 21, and thence through a dispensing slot 22. The sheet material which projects externally of the cabinet may be removed by tearing off on the lower edge of the front wall 14, this lower edge forming a cutting edge 23 along one side of the dispensing slot.

As thus far described, it will be appreciated that the only limitation upon the size of the roll 16 which may be inserted through the charging opening 15 is that the roll length must not exceed the distance between the end walls .of the cabinet, nor must it be of'greater diameter than the distance between the forwardedge of the top wall 11 land the upper edge of the front wall 14. According to the concept of the present invention, it. is proposed to provide keying means which will cooperate more or less at the center of the roll length to prevent unauthorized use of a 'refill roll which is not properly keyed to the cabinet, and which would permit the placing in the cabinet of an unauthorized roll only if it were of such short length as to be impractical of'use. In other words the roll would have to be substantially half length in order to be inserted into the cabinet. However, while only one keying combination is shown, it is within the scope of the invention toutilize more than one keying combination along the length of the roll, so that this would make it possible to use only very small lengths of roll, in which case the entire purpose of providing a dispensable sheet material would be defeated.

As shown in Fig. 1 the keying means comprises in general two parts, one part being associated with the cabinet, while the other part is associated with the roll of sheet material, and it being necessary to bring these parts into predetermined keyed relationship in order to permit the roll to be passed through the charging opening 15 and disposed in a dispensing position within the cabinet.

More specifically, it is proposed to provide a keying pin 24 with a T-shaped head 25 which is pivotally supported in a U-shaped bracket 26 having a transverse slot 27 through which the pin extends. The bracket 26 is welded or otherwise secured to the top wall 11 of the cabinet, and has one edge deflected to form an abutment 28 which limits the clockwise swinging, movement of the keying pin 24, as shown in Fig. 1, to a substantially vertical position. The other edge of the bracket is extended and deflected to form an abutment 29 which limits the forward or counterclockwise swinging movement of the pin to an angular position substantially as shown in dotted lines. It will be appreciated that in the full line position ofthe pin 24, it will normally form a bar which opposes insertion of a roll .16 through the opening 15, unless the proper keying relationship is eifected with the part of thekeying means associated with the roll 16.

In this case, the keying-means ofthe roll comprises a recess in the form of a keying passage whole 30 which extends radiallyof the roll through the roll material and opens at its outermost end in an opening in the surface of the roll. The keying passage 30 is of sufficient depth to receive therein the keying pin 24.

As shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1, the parts of the keying means may be brought into proper relationship to permit inserting the roll through the opening 15 by swinging the pin 24 to its dotted line position, in which posi tion it may be inserted into the keying passage 30 of the roll 50 as to permit movement of the roll to a position which will permit its being swung through the opening 15 with the keying pin swinging about its T-head end until a position is reached where the roll is free to drop down into the dispensing position within the cabinet. The keying means thus forms an effective means which makes it necessary to utilize only a roll which 'is properly keyed to the cabinet, and likewise prevents the use of inferior material which may be contained in a roll which is not keyed to the cabinet.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, a modifiedkeying means has been disclosed which operates in the same manner as that explained above. Like numerals in the modified construction have been used to indicate corresponding parts.

In this modified construction, the keying means part associated with the cabinet has been constructed in the form of a projecting tongue 24' which is secured to the top wall 11 adjacent the hinge 18 and the part associated with the roll comprises a circumferentially extending keying groove or slot 30' formed in the roll surface, this slot being of arcuate configuration between its ends to appropriately receive the outer end of the tongue 24' which is interfittingly formed. The keying means operates in the same manner as that previously described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 and accomplishes the same purposes.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cabinet dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll rotatably supported within the cabinet in a dispensing position, said cabinet having a confined path of entry for movement of a re-fill roll to said dispensing position; and means comprising one part located on said cabinet and another part located solely on the cylindrical outer surface of said roll arranged for selective disposition for cooperation and non-cooperation with respect to said one part, said parts when cooperably associated enabling movement of the re-fill roll to said dispensing position via said path, but when non-cooperably associated said one part acting to bar and oppose said movement.

2. As an article of manufacture, a cylindrical roll of dispensable sheet material keyed for use in a pre-selected dispensing cabinet, said roll having a recessed portion in its cylindrical outer surface extending through a portion of the roll layers adapted for temporary association, during movement of the roll to an' operative position in the cabinet, with projecting key means carried by the dispensing cabinet, whereby such keyed roll only may be used in said cabinet.

3. As an article of manufacture, a roll of dispensable sheet material keyed for use in a pre-selected dispensing cabinet, said roll having a recessed portion in its cylindrical outer surface adapted for temporarily receiving, during insertion of the roll into the cabinet, the projecting key means carried by the dispensing cabinet, whereby such keyed roll only may be used in said cabinet, said recessed portion comprising a radial passage opening into the roll surface and having a depth less than the radial depth of roll material.

4. As an article of manufacture, a roll of dispensable sheet material keyed for use in a p're-selected dispensing cabinet, said roll having a recessed portion in its cylindrical outer surface adapted for temporary association,

during insertion of the roll into the cabinet, with projecting key means carried by the dispensing cabinet, whereby such keyed roll only.may be used in said cabinet, said recessed portion comprising a circumferentially extending surface slot in the outermost roll layers having a depth less than the radial depth of roll material.

5. A cabinet dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll rotatably supported within the cabinet in a dispensing position, said cabinet having a confined path of entry for movement of a re-fill roll to said dispensing position; and means keying the roll and cabinet comprising a keying pin swingably supported on said cabinet and normally opposing movement of the re-fill roll to said position, and a pin receiving keying recess extending radially of the roll and opening into the roll surface, said recess being adapted in one position of the keying pin to receive it endwise therein and enable movement of the roll to its dispensing position.

6. A cabinet dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll rotatably supported within the cabinet in a dispensing position, said cabinet having a confined path of entry for movement of a re-fill roll to said dispensing position; and means keying the roll and cabinet comprising a projecting tongue supported on said cabinet in a position normally opposing movement of the re-fill roll to said position, and a keying slot extending circumferentially of the roll surface and opening thereinto, said slot being adapted to receive the tongue therein in a radial direction relative to the roll and when so associated enable movement of the roll to its dispensing position.

7. A keyed cabinet-roll dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll supported Within the cabinet in a dispensing position, said cabinet having end walls defining an opening through which a re-fill roll must laterally pass for disposition in a dispensing position in the cabinet with its ends respectively adjacent said cabinet end walls; a member carriedby said cabinet normally projecting into said opening at a location between said end walls and forming a bar opposing movement of a re-fill roll therethrough; and a surface opening recess on said roll adapted to receive said projecting member therein, whereby the roll may be passed through said opening and disengaged from said member.

8. A keyed cabinet-roll dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll supported within the cabinet in a dispensing position, said cabinet having an opening through which a re-fill roll must pass for disposition in a dispensing position in the cabinet; a member carried by said cabinet normally projecting into said opening and forming a bar opposing movement of a re-fill roll therethrough; and a surface opening recess on said roll adapted upon relative movement of the member and roll in one direction to receive the member therein, and upon reversed relative movement to withdraw the member from recess, said roll being movable through said opening when the member is positioned in said recess.

9. A keyed cabinet-roll dispenser for dispening sheet material from a roll supported within the cabinet in a dispensing position, said cabinet having an opening through which a re-fill roll must pass for disposition in a dispensing position in the cabinet; a member pivotally mounted on said cabinet for swinging movement between preset limit positions, said member projecting into said opening and normally forming a bar opposing movement of a re-fill roll therethrough; and a surface opening recess adapted in one limit position of said member to receive it endwise therein, whereby the member may be swung to its other limit to carry the roll through the opening to a position permitting disengagement from said member and movement to the dispensing position.

10. A keyed cabinet-roll dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll supported within the cabinet in a dispensing position for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said cabinet having an opening through which a refill roll must laterally pass for disposition in a dispenssaid means being rendered ineflectual to oppose p'assage ing position in the cabinet; a member carried by said of the roll through said opening.

cabinet normally projecting into said opening in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis; and means car- References Cited in the file of this P ried by said roll having selectable cooperable and nonc0- 5 UN T TA PA operable positions with respect to said member, said memher in said non-cooperable position of said means forming 1 fi gfgg t? a bar opposing the lateral movement of the re-fill r011 7232968 Price et a1 1941 through said opening, but in the cooperable position of 

